Under that agreement, Piccola agreed to accept the public rebuke, and in doing so shield his law license, to resolve accusations that he had conflicts of interest in simultaneously representing heirs and an “heir-hunting” firm in several estate cases.

One of the estates was that of former Patriot-News film critic Sharon Johnson, who died in 2003.

While his agreement with the disciplinary board called for his reprimand to be delivered publicly — as opposed to privately as some such punishments are administered — the audience for it was sparse.

It consisted of only two reporters.

Elaine Bixler, secretary to the board, said Piccola, a Susquehanna Township Republican, was among five or six attorneys scheduled to receive reprimands at the agency’s Penn Center office that afternoon.

Piccola’s turn lasted less than 10 minutes.

Looking grim, he stood before the board, his hands gripping a podium.

Board Chairman Stewart Cohen began not by criticizing Piccola, but by praising and attempting to console him.

“You have dedicated your career to public service,” Cohen said, acknowledging that reporters were in the room. “You have given of your time and energies for your community. That is to be admired.”

Cohen stressed to Piccola that the issue that brought him before the board was a “mistake” rather than a deliberate misdeed.

Cohen then told the senator that he believes the reprimand will be a mere blip on his decades-long public record and on his otherwise unblemished career as an attorney. It should be easily counter-balanced by Piccola’s other good works, he said.

“Thank you,” Piccola said when Cohen finished.

Cohen then turned to what he called the “unpleasant task” of issuing the reprimand.

“As difficult as this task may be,” he said, Piccola had violated conduct rules while representing heir-hunter Kemp & Associates while also representing heirs to estates from whom Kemp was seeking payment.

Kemp would locate heirs, then charge them 33 percent of the assets they recovered, while Piccola received a 5 percent fee from Kemp, according to the reprimand.

It stated further that Piccola violated conflict of interest prohibitions by not telling the heirs involved with Kemp that although he was representing them as well, Kemp was his primary client.

Piccola also on occasion represented Kemp against some of those heirs in disputes over estate proceeds, another violation of the conflict of interest ban, according to his reprimand.

When Piccola reached his agreement to settle the disciplinary case, his lawyer, Robert H. Davis Jr., said the senator honestly believed that he had no conflict in the estate matters.

In his letter to his fellow lawmakers, Piccola noted that his accord with the disciplinary board also required the withdrawal of more serious allegations of fraud, dishonesty and champery, an illegal sharing of proceeds of a lawsuit by an outside party that promoted it.

Also in his letter, Piccola attributed his “mistake” to his misreading of some of the attorney code of conduct provisions.

Cohen said “mitigating factors” in Piccola’s favor include his decision to settle the discipline case, rather than fight the allegations. “You acknowledged your mistake and you should be commended for that,” Cohen said.

He said he is convinced the senator has shown “sincere remorse.”

After ending the reprimand by noting that it “is now a matter of public record,” Cohen again praised Piccola’s public service and asked Piccola to convey those accolades to his family.

Piccola nodded, then promptly turned and walked out the hearing room door. A court official had to call out to him and bring him back because Piccola had to sign the reprimand document to make it official.

Piccola didn’t acknowledge a reporter’s request for comment as he left the board’s office.

The hearing’s sour note was struck just weeks before Piccola leaves the 15th Senate District post he has held for 17 years.

He will be succeeded by Rob Teplitz, 41, of Susquehanna Township, the chief counsel to Auditor General Jack Wagner, and first Democrat in 76 years to be elected to represent that Dauphin County and northern York County district.

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